Lithuanian conservative leader responds to internal criticism over party direction

Lithuania’s former prime minister and conservative MP Ingrida Šimonytė has dismissed claims that the Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) lacks clear leadership, stating the party has never operated as a “one-leader system,” public broadcaster LRT reports.

Speaking to Žinių Radijas on Friday, Šimonytė emphasised that TS-LKD has always been defined by its diversity of opinion. “TS-LKD has probably always differed from many other parties in that it was never a party about a leader—where one leader holds a single position and all other members are forbidden from having any other view,” she said. She framed recent internal criticism as a natural expression of differing visions rather than an attack on leadership.

Her comments follow a public dispute after MP Matas Maldeikis questioned party leader Laurynas Kasčiūnas’ strategic direction in a Delfi interview last month. The TS-LKD Oversight Committee reviewed the case this week, concluding that while the party welcomes diverse views, members should address core policy debates internally. Maldeikis welcomed the decision, stating his position had been heard, while Kasčiūnas—elected party chair in early 2025—called the ruling logical but reaffirmed his own leadership approach.

The row began when the Kaunas branch of TS-LKD formally requested the Oversight Committee’s intervention. Kasčiūnas, whose term runs until 2029, has faced no formal reprimand over the episode.

Raids on lawmakers’ offices ‘no laughing matter’
In separate remarks, Šimonytė addressed recent searches by financial crime investigators at the homes and offices of opposition MPs, including former prime minister Saulius Skvernelis and Nemuno Aušra leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis. She warned such incidents risk reinforcing public cynicism about politics.

“Every time law enforcement visits politicians—especially in parliament—it feeds the narrative that politics is inherently corrupt,” she told Žinių Radijas. While acknowledging investigators’ right to pursue evidence, she cautioned that high-profile cases often spawn “new saviours” claiming to rescue the public from a broken system through unsystematic measures.

The searches relate to separate probes: one into alleged car-rental fraud linked to Žemaitaitis’ party, another into bribery allegations at the State Plant Service involving Skvernelis and ex-agriculture minister Kęstutis Kristinaitis.